The Frenchie Fancy - Issue 1 - APRIL 2013

art by FACEBOOK.COM/FVRPRO

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Fancy Talk

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Fancy Tricks

The Healthy Fancy

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The Fancy in Review

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Now That’s Fancy!

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Fancy Champions

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How to Advertise

Interview with Colette Seror LeFox French Bulldogs

French Bulldogs Anesthesia Protocol, by Lori Hunt, DVM

Frenchie finds, luxury collectibles or fun items...

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The Frenchie Fancy 2013 - The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, images, photografs or other materials. By accepting and publishing advertising the publisher in no way recommends, guarantees or endorses the quality of the services of products within those advertisments.

The information contained in this on-line magazine is for general information purpose only. The information is provided by us and our collaborators, and while every efford is made to provide information which is both current and correct, we make no representations on warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliavility, suitability or availability with respect to the online magazine or the information, products, services or related graphics contained within the online magazine for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will Frenchie Fancy be liable for any loos or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loos or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising for loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this online magazine

Column by Anna Denisova Hellzapoppin Frenchies

Column by Matthew Dover Bella Luna French Bulldogs

See who has just finished their Championship around the world

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f ancy beginnings

Welcome to the first issue of The Frenchie Fancy magazine! It was a journey to get here - and what a journey. This idea did not come overnight, but was simply picked up by us, a group of friends and Frenchie enthusiasts, that after numerous conversations with breeders from all parts of the world, often heard the same question: “Why isn’t there a worldwide Frenchie magazine?”

It is with that thought in mind that we set out to put together this project. It took a long time, but finally - here it is! We hope that you enjoy the read and have a great time going through the carefully put together ads and articles as much as we were thrilled to prepare them for you.

Our mission is simple - but not easy. We want to connect French Bulldog breeders from around the world. We aim to showcase beautiful dogs, amazing winners and outstanding breeding programs. We firmly believe that, even though there are many standards of the French Bulldog around the world, a beautiful French Bulldog is beautiful no matter where it is presented.

And Matthew Dover, breeder and exhibitor on the east coast of the USA, makes some valid points about how the standard is currently being viewed by some French Bulldog breeders.

Finally, we could not leave out from this editorial some of the people who have been a key to this project. Our first ladies in Europe, Anna Denisova (Italy), Ana Jagtiani (Andorra) and Sarah Ventham (UK), I simply cannot thank them enough. Billy Covalucci for willingly borrowing us Matthew Dover (sometimes); Roger Barlow for all the business tips; Colette Seror for the honor of conceding us our first interview, and of course, our guest of honor: YOU! Thank you for advertising with us, for posting on our Facebook fan page, for signing up to get our issues online and for all the lovely messages we have received.

And of course...

This is only the beginning!

For this issue, we have prepared a couple of articles for our readers.

We had the opportunity to interview the long time French Bulldog breeder Colette Seror, of LeFox French Bulldogs, and what a treat this was. The lovely Anna Denisova, who lives in Italy, gives some amazing tips on positive training your Frenchie for the show ring.

Vivianne Mello, Fernanda Barlow, Matthew Dover The Frenchie Fancy Team

FRENCHIE FANCY Art Director Vivianne Mello info@frenchiefancy.com

Advertising Director Fernanda Barlow ads@frenchiefancy.com

Marketing Director Matthew Dover mkt@frenchiefancy.com

Writers Lori Hunt, DVM Matthew Dover Fernanda Barlow Anna Denisova Training Specialist Anna Denisova

Photography Anastasia Nikolaeva Billy Covalucci Sabine Jörg

Distribution (Limited)

Distribution (Limited)

BRAZIL & SOUTH AMERICA

UNITED STATES

Matthew Dover (East) Fernanda Barlow (West)

EUROPE

Ana Jagtiani (Spain) Anna Denisova (Italy)

Vivianne Mello Send us a message! info@frenchiefancy.com www.frenchiefancy.com facebook.com/frenchiefancy

FANCY advertisers ARGENTINA BLOIS, Sergio ......................................................... 68 FERREIRA, Maria .................................................... 88 SILVA, Rafael .......................................................... 68

RUSSIA KHOMASURIDZE, Revaz ........................................ 10-11 KOZHEVNIKOVA, Elena .......................... 50 - 51, 52 - 53 ZABRODA, Olga ........................................................... 70

AUSTRALIA GREENALL, Mell ............................................... 20 - 21 MCCLELLAND, Kelly ......................................... 20 - 21 MCINNES, Angela ..................................................... 81

SPAIN CENALMOR, Jordi ....................................................... 22 JAGTIANI, Ana ............................................................. 22 TALAVAN, Eugenio ....................................................... 38 URIARTE, Leyre ........................................................... 38

BRAZIL SLAVIERO, Augusto .......................................... 74 - 75 CANADA CRAM, Karen .......................................................... 42 ST. JOHN, Shelley .................................................. 22-23 CZECH REPUBLIC KEPLOVA, Jana ....................................................... 71 DENMARK RASMUSSEN, Tove ........................................... 36 -37 FINLAND SAIRA, Toni ............................................................. 40 HUNGARY KISS, Diána ................................................................... 87 PONGRACZ, Eleonora ................................................... 7 ITALY DENISOVA, Anna ........................................................ 18 VITALI, Valerio ............................................................. 76 JAPAN YAMANAKA, Kazumi ........................................ Cover, 2-3 LITHUANIA STARKUVIENE, Ligita .................................................... 54 VAITIEKUNIENE, Asta .................................................... 26 MEXICO KUECHEL, Erwin ................................................. 34 - 35 POLAND BUCZKOWSKA, Zofia ..................................................... 56

SWITZERLAND Jörg, Sabine .................................................... 48 - 49 UNITED KINGDOM BASSET, Patricia ......................................................... 77 BAILEY, Natalie ..................................................... 08-09 FRIEND, Darren .................................................... 12-13 VENTHAM, Sarah .................................................. 60-61 UNITED STATES BARLOW, Fernanda ..................................................... 41 BARLOW, Roger .......................................................... 86 BERREY, Dave ............................................................. 33 BURVEE, Diane ........................................................... 55 COVALUCCI, Billy ................................................ 12, 16-17 DALTON, James .................................................... 22-23 DOVER, Matthew .................................................. 16-17 DYKES, Calvin & Sharon .............................................. 78 EDGE, Brandon ........................................................... 27 GARLINGHOUSE, Alessa .............................................. 84 GOLDBERG, Wendy ..................................................... 69 GOLDEN, Gale ............................................................. 85 HILSMAN, Roxanne ..................................................... 33 HUNT, Lori ................................................................... 47 LEGER, Sheree’ ........................................................... 80 LOCKTOV, Patty .................................................... 14-15 MILLER, Stephen .................................................. 62-63 NEIDIG, Jill .................................................................. 12 NOWICKI, John ............................................................ 19 RABANG, Jackie & Mike .............................................. 59 SCHETTINO, Lorene, Lorraine & Vinny ................... 12-13 SMITH, Robert ..................................................... 62-63 SIEGMAN, Elena .......................................................... 38 WEINBERG, Allen ......................................................... 27 WILKE, Jaime .............................................................. 79 WORKMAN, Gregory .................................................... 19 YARBROUGH, Ty .......................................................... 84

first issue stats - 18 countries. 50 ads. 88 pages.

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FANCY TALK - Colette Seror “LeFox”

Our breed is a type breed, we are the fashion statement of canines.

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FANCY TALK - Colette Seror “LeFox”

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the ancy talk We interviewed the breed icon Colette Seror, of LeFox French Bulldogs. Here is the result!

When and why did you choose the French Bulldog? Did you have a history with another breed previously before Frenchies?

I chose the French Bulldog because I wanted to have the most unique canine on the planet. By the time I chose frenchies I had been involved in the sport of dogs half my life... I had worked with a professional handler in the sixties and had bred champions from the sporting, toy and hound group... in the late seventies I started my quest of finding the right breed for myself.

Tell us a little about the Frenchie scene from back when you started out. Do you see a difference in quality?

There was no frenchie scene when I started... or let’s say, there were five breeders in the whole United States.

Frenchies had not been popular. That was one of the things that drew me to the breed. The gene pools were small and most of the dogs lacked type.

THE GENE POOLS WERE SMALL AND MOST OF THE DOGS LACKED TYPE.

Which French Bulldogs have made the biggest impression on you since you started in the breed?

We have come a long way and there are many dogs that made an impression. The first ones that come to mind are Champion Smith’s Petit Maître “Duke”, owned by Abe and Suzie Segal , he was bred by Robert Gephardt and whelped in 1973. He himself was a Best in Show winner who went on to sire 12 champions, including 2 BIS

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FANCY TALK - Colette Seror “LeFox”

“I am not blessed with a crystal ball. Selecting show prospects is a long process. The keyword is balance.”

Champions, Adams’ Traveling Man and Champion Adams’ Unique Physique. Keep in mind, frenchies seldom won BIS in those days...

Another great dog was Balihai’s Quad. Who sired 13 champions, including my first two frenchies, Adams’ Lefox and Adams’ King of the Road.

Other greats include Players Edward Puck, Champion Omar Sharif De La Parure and his beautiful son Colonel Trusardi De La Parure. Also of course Champion Affabull King of Diamonds, “Reggie”, bred by John and Chris Affelt and owned by me.

What is your process to decide which of your puppies are show potentials?

I am not blessed with a crystal ball. It is a long process for me, because I breed for myself and not to sell dogs.

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I run on entire litters and make my choices accordingly... the keyword for me is balance.

Are there certain areas of opportunities or faults that you are willing to overlook in favor of the overall picture of a dog?

When evaluating a French Bulldog, do you have deal breakers?

Just one word, “type”, which includes everything the French Bulldog is bred for. They are a man-made breed and their form is their function.

FRENCHIES are a man-made breed, their form is their function.

Would you use a dog in your breeding program that has outstanding virtues, but that possesses one major fault?

Yes, I will not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Let’s talk about headpieces. Do you believe that the lack of fill around the muzzle detracts from the breed’s signature expression?

Again, a French Bulldog was bred only for the way they look and companionship... And they better look that way.

FANCY TALK - Colette Seror “LeFox”

let’s breed a frenchie acceptable anywhere on the planet.

Many people say our breed is a head breed. How do you feel about this statement?

Do you believe that more focus should have been given in the standard to other aspects, such as movement?

Our breed is a type breed, we are the fashion statement of canines...

Again, our form is our function... The movement of a French Bulldog should be effortless, not causing them strains because of the way they are built.

Do you see a clear difference between the American French Bulldog and the European French Bulldog?

Which one has your favorite type?

I used to... But as we are progressively moving forward I see, other than our size disqualification, a unification which I support fully... Let’s breed a Frenchie acceptable anywhere on the planet.

Do you believe in inbreeding (tight breedings between mother/son or father/daughter)?

Are there certain colors or markings you don’t breed together?

Yes, line breeding is important to keep type... I do not breed dilutes to dilutes and I feel the brindle carries the breed type in my humble opinion.

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FANCY TALK - Colette Seror “LeFox”

With the recent surge in popularity in our breed as companions in homes all over the world, it’s of utmost importance for breeders to focus on health testing.

What tests do you feel are paramount for our breed?

Juvenile Cataracts Eyes, hips, back, if there is a test, test for it, Amen, thank God.

What dog of all times do you think that have made the most impact in our breed, in a positive way?

Too many to name... But if you want, you can call me on the phone and we can discuss dogs all day!

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Which dogs bred by you are closer to your ideal of type?

I have been lucky in this breed, I have had several.

What has been the biggest honor or achievement in your breeding life?

I was the first recipient of the Janis Hampton memorial service award by the French Bulldog Club of America...

It means a lot to me because of my relationship with Janis, a very important person in US Frenchie history.

If you had to start over and choose another breed, what breed would you choose to have?

There can only be room for frenchies in my life!

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PHOTO BY- Anastasia Nikolaeva - REDDOGFOTO.com

by Lori Hunt, DVM

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the healthy ancy Lori Hunt, DVM

French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed and present an anesthetic challenge. This is not news to their devoted fanciers! Sometimes, however, it can be to their veterinarians. Their lovely plush heads give them short noses, small nostrils, narrow tracheas and thickened airways which in turn creates a different way of processing anesthesia.

Unfortunately, we have all heard the horrific stories of someone’s poor sweet Frenchie who died while under anesthesia.

Lately, It seems, we have been hearing even more of this sort of story.

This prompted me to share my personal anesthesia protocol which I use in my frenchies and my clients’ frenchies.

This is in no way meant to be the only way to anesthetize a frenchie (or any brachycephalic breed) but hopefully, it will encourage owners to open a dialogue regarding anesthesia with their veterinarians and the idiosyncrasies of our breed.

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THE HEALTHY FANCY - French Bulldog Anesthesia Protocol

Recommended French Bulldog

Anesthesia Protocol Requirement: No food for 12 hours before surgery. This is crucial. If the dog eats the morning of surgery, cancel the surgery for that day.

Vomiting and aspiration can have devastating effects in a Frenchie. In an emergency, it’s possible your dog may have eaten. Please tell your vet this info, as often it may affect how they recover your frenchie.

if the dog eats the morning of the surgery, CANCEL THE SURGERY FOR THAT DAY.

Recommendations:

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Do a clotting time, full blood chemistry work-up and complete blood count before anesthesia.

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Be sure an intravenous catheter will be placed prior to surgery.

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Ideally, all dogs will be administered IV fluids during surgery.

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Chest x-rays prior to surgery are always recommended for brachycephalic dogs, especially if the dog has had chronic breathing problems.

OPTIMUM Use propofol induction anesthesia, intubate (place a breathing tube in the trachea) and maintain on gas anesthesia (isoflurane or sevoflurane).

SATISFACTORY OPTIONS Ketamine combined diazepam (Valium).

with

Butorphanol (mild sedative for short procedures such as an x-ray).

This is also known as Torbugesic or Torbutrol.

Dexdomitor (reversible anesthesia/sedative and an excellent choice for pre-anesthetic in place of Ace).

USE WITH CAUTION Thiopental Telazol Hydromorphone

by Lori Hunt, DVM

DO NOT GIVE FRENCHIES Acepromazine (sedative) Pentobarbital (injectable anesthesia) Xylazine (sedative) Halothane (gas anesthesia)

Anesthetic Extras:

EVERY BRACHYCEPHALIC DOG THAT GOES UNDER ANESTHESIA SHOULD HAVE AN ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE (ET) PLACED IN THEIR TRACHEA.

These would be in addition to the optimum anesthetic protocol listed above and are recommended for longer procedures: Famotidine (Pepcid) or ranitidine (Zantac) injection (helps cut down on nausea and post-op vomiting, decreases risk of aspiration) Dexamethasone can reduce post-op swelling and make recovery faster in cases where the dog’s throat is irritated from the ET tube, when the dog’s palate is very long, or following palate surgery. A single injection can be given in these cases.

Intubation vs.

Masking/Coning Down: EVERY brachycephalic dog that goes under anesthesia should have an endotracheal tube (ET) placed in his or her trachea.

Always! The airway must be protected at all times. The

endotracheal tube should be left in until the dog is awake.

Use intravenous propofol (or one of the other satisfactory drugs listed in this article) to induce anesthesia (which puts them under) and allows sufficient time to place the ET tube. From then on, anesthesia is maintained with sevoflurane or isoflurane.

Brachycephalic breeds, such as French Bulldogs, should never be masked down with anesthesia. Masking down is when a mask is placed on an awake or mildly sedated dog’s muzzle. The mask is held in place by restraining the dog. The inhalant, which has a bad smell, is given at high levels. As the dog breathes more and more, he/she gets sleepy. The problem with masking down Frenchies is that they can become very anxious, fight the mask and not breathe well. Most Frenchies have problems breathing in the first place, this just makes it worse, which results in lower oxygen levels.

Ideally, injectable sedatives are used and an endotracheal tube placed which is then attached to an anesthetic machine. This gives them the optimum oxygen supply.

The updated version of this protocol can always be found at: w w w. f r e e w e b s . c o m / a s s i s i frenchies/frenchie-health-info April 2013

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THE HEALTHY FANCY - French Bulldog Anesthesia Protocol PHOTO BY Anastasia Nikolaeva - REDDOGFOTO.com

Lori has compiled a few surveys to help gather information related to french bulldog health and reactions to certain drugs and vaccinations.

These surveys are developed exclusively by her, and reflect no other views or interests besides hers.

She hopes to detect pattern from the information that can be useful for future recommendations for French Bulldogs. All results will remain anonymous and used strictly to compile statitistics. The French Bulldog breed can benefit from your responses!

If your French Bulldog has been administered Acepromazine as either a sedative or pre-anesthetic and had a bad outcome, please take a minute to fill out the form at: www.freewebs.com/assisifrenchies/acepromazine-survey

If your Frenchie has had an adverse reaction to a vaccine, please fill out the online form at: www.freewebs.com/assisifrenchies/vaccine-survey

Please also support the cause and “like� the ACE (Acepromazine) Awareness League on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/aceawarenessleague

About the Author: Lori Hunt, DVM is a practicing small animal veterinarian in Westlake, Ohio. She has a special interest in reproduction and brachycephalic breeds.

For almost 15 years, she has been a French Bulldog breeder, exhibitor and veterinarian to several hundred regular frenchie patients. She also consults worldwide on many Frenchie cases.

Meet Lori and her Frenchies on her website: www.freewebs.com/assisifrenchies

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where to find?

1. French Bulldog 2013 Calendar $ 6.98, paper-source.com

2. Atrium Classic Gold Deluxe Dog Bowl $ 99, bellomaniausa.com

3. Raspberry Frenchie 8x10 Print

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PHOTO BY- Anastasia Nikolaeva - REDDOGFOTO.com

FANCY TRICKS

f ancy tricks

Positive Reinforcement Training for show and the couch

Anna Denisova, CTC I believe most modern dog-lovers have heard at least once about Positive Reinforcement. In this section of the magazine, we will talk about Positive Reinforcement Training for French Bulldogs and how to introduce it into our kennel and show dog training routines.

As the Great Maestro of Animal Training Bob Bailey says, “Training is simple, but not easy�. The aim of this series of articles is to help owners, breeders and handlers to develop the necessary skills to train Frenchies in a fast & efficient way while having fun doing it.

We welcome your success strories and training questions for future Frenchie Fancy issues.

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by Anna Denisova

Why Positive Reinforcement works The answer is actually really simple.

Postitive reinforcement works because we all do things more willingly if we like doing them. Using positive reinforcement, we teach our dogs to like the things we want them to do. This can be accomplished by associating things of high value for Frenchies with highly desired behaviors. Make every training session a game, fun for both the trainer and trainee (guess who is who?).

In the process we also enrich the quality of the interaction with our dogs. This is especially important for people owning several dogs with busy schedules, as having quality time should be a priority if the personal time for every dog in a breeding program is limited.

Behavior Modification is complex; it’s difficult to describe everything in one or even many articles. But let us start with the essentials. Let’s begin with effective Frenchie reinforcement and a s imple training technique called “Classic Conditioning”. These two things will help you make your dog understand what he does is appreciated and brings good things to his life.

As soon as you finish reading this article, you will be able to teach your dog to love his crate, his show lead, grooming table, and even feel better in the confusion and noise of a show. Not a bad start, huh?

Reinforcement:

good things delivered by human to the Frenchie.

Positive Reinforcement (R+): good things delivered by human to the Frenchie in exchange of the desired behavior, which will tend to happen more often.

But what if it doesn’t work? I am sure most of you have been in a situation when the very same treats that your Frenchie loves at home are not even looked at when you’re at the show.... Or that nice drive that your sweetheart had in the morning vanishes when judge is around to choose the number one.

When we talk about reinforcement, I particularly like the chair example: Imagine your friend calls you. She says that since she knows you are good friends, she’d like you to sit on a chair for 5 straight hours.

Would that be okay with you? What if she tells you she’ll pay you $100 for it? What about $1,000? I don’t know about you, but I would consider to sit in that chair for 5 hours every day if she kept the money coming each time!!!

This is the meaning of reinforcement value.

Every time you reinforce your Frenchie REMEMBER to offer a $1,000 reward!

Of course the money example is only a metaphor, so now we must find out what has high value for YOUR dog.

It’s time for our first exercise. First, write down the things that your dog likes a lot. Don’t limit yourself to only food or toys, but as well as activities (like going for a walk, sleeping on the sofa and so on), and the behaviors (like dog play, barking, digging holes in your garden, and playing “Mr. Humpy”).

Write down as many as you can! And underline with red what the best ones are, with green the second best ones, and with blue the undesired and self-rewarding behaviors (like pulling on the leash).

every time you reinforce your frenchie, remember to offer a $1,000 reward!

When your list is ready, take a look and see if you included water. True, water is really rewarding when one is thirsty! But it’s irrelevant when one is not. This is the second trick. Reinforcers or rewards do not have their power all the time...

It’s like when you tell people you are a breeder, some of them are jealous because you “do what you love in your life”, but when you tell them you have to wake up every day at 6 a.m. to let your dogs out, being a breeder doesn’t sound so good anymore.

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FANCY TRICKS

Every time you reinforce your Frenchie, always offer a reward that is appealing to the Frenchie at the moment.

Another thing is the timing of the reward. Reward should be delivered right away. Imagine you finish your dog’s Championship. All your buddies are there at ringside. But no one comes to congratulate you. Then only one year later they write to you: “Hey, congrats on your win last year. I was so happy for you!” See what I mean?

Reinforce right away.

WHEN you reward is always tightly connected with WHAT you reward. Additionally, behavior can be split into many mini-behaviors. It is best to be sure to deliver the reward when the dog is doing something you are looking for.

Imagine you train your dog to look at you while stacking and having their ears up.

Your Frenchie does all that, but as soon as you lean forward to deliver that yummy piece of hot dog, the attention is lost, the ears are down, and the hot dog is already in their mouth. But what have you reinforced?

Reward only desired behaviors.

During training sessions, I personally prefer to use food (like roastbeef, smoked salmon, string cheese, baby food or anything my dogs do not have regular or free access to) or games like tug-of war, wrestling or chasing. Instead in our daily routine, I prefer to turn everything my dog wants into rewards. For example, the golden rule in our home is “If one of the Frenchies wants something, he or she must free-stack (stand still and looking into my eyes)”. If I see anyone around stacking, I know it’s a good moment to let them know that I love this behavior, so GOOD THINGS ARE COMING!!!!

Every time your Frenchie behaves in the desired way, REINFORCE! At least with your voice or a game…

The more often you reward your Frenchie for being good, the more your Frenchie will reward you with good behavior.

This is POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT!

PHOTOS BY- (1) Anastasia Nikolaeva - REDDOGFOTO.com & (2) Billy Covalucci

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by Anna Denisova

The last point for this article, but not the least, is a simple training technique called Classical Conditioning or CC. It’s very simple. It’s based on association of stimulus (S) to consequence (C).

Here are some examples: If you take the leash in your hand (S), it’s time for your Frenchie to take a walk (C). If you take their food bowl in your hands (S), it’s time for a meal (C), and so on.

By using Classical Conditioning you can teach your dog to associate their show lead, grooming table, or their crate with rewards. This means that the Frenchie will learn to like all of those things a lot.

Your Frenchie will learn that these objects, while not normally relevant to a dog’s life, in your Frenchie’s life mean good things are coming! The only secret is to reward with a high value reinforcement every single time and repeat the exercise several times a day, every day. Make those 1-2 minute games your daily ritual, something really nice and pleasant that the two of you do together.

If things don’t go perfectly right away, don’t worry! Be positive with yourself! Training is a skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll be!

See you next issue,

Anna

About the Author: Anna Denisova, CTC, is a pet and show dog trainer and counselor. She started her career with dogs as a show-dog handler and had a practical experience working with various breeds of dogs.

She graduated with honors fro, prestigious Jean Donaldson San Francisco SPCA Dog Trainers Academy (USA) and successfully completed Operant Conditioning Workshops with world famous animal trainer Bob Bailey, also known as “a teacher of teachers” (Sweden).

Anna continues her dog training education working virtually with Susan Garrett and SAY YES Dog Training (Canada).

Apart from training dogs, Anna owns the French Bulldog Kennel Hellzapoppin. All of Hellzapoppin Frenchies are exclusively ownertrained and shown in conformation in Italy and abroad.

Anna lives with her family and dogs on Varese Lake in Northern Italy.

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THE FANCY IN REVIEW

the ancy in review The Standard... a blueprint or a suggestion?

Matthew Dover Breeding dogs is truly an art and a dedication. Once the dog show bug has bitten, it’s not long after that the desire to breed show dogs becomes a passion. With that passion comes great responsibility. Not only to the health and well being of the dogs but to the standard that describes them, down to the finest detail.

Once you have decided that French Bulldogs are the breed for you, reading and understanding the standard is paramount before breeding. You have to develop your eye to exactly what is described so that you know which dogs uphold the standard in type and quality. With each and every generation going forward, a breeder has to constantly evaluate and measure their dogs to the standard to determine what should be kept for showing and breeding purposes.

When breeders only use the standard as an “occasional” guideline, breed type can be easily lost to “taste”. What you 72 frenchiefancy.com

read to be “heavy” originally, can fade into your remembering it to read “moderate” over time. If you are struggling with fine bone, but it is all you see every day, without re-reading the standard you may forget that it is something you need to work on in your own program.

I’ve overheard very interesting conversations between breeders that prompted me to write this article. Discussions between breeders can be heard regularly going something like this: “Well I know you prefer…, but I prefer…”

When a person dedicates themselves to breeding a specific breed, their attraction to them was due to an already established appearance. Our personal preferences become unimportant. Our visual preferences have to be rebuilt around the standard.

Our taste really has nothing to do with it.

I also hear a lot that the standard is very open to interpretation. While I believe this to be true in some respects I don’t think it is nearly to the degree in which it is argued.

For example, if our (AKC) standard says that the forelegs have to be short, stout, muscular, of heavy bone, and set wide apart. And the balance indicates that the

measurement from withers to the floor be in good relation to the withers to the onset of tail, but the overall dog has to weigh less than 28 pounds then there isn’t much room for “interpretation”. If a taller, higher stationed dog’s legs are muscular, heavy and set wide apart and the dog has any substance, then it will exceed the weight standard. If the dog is well under the weight restriction and has longer taller legs that are set wide apart, and is balanced, between withers, floor, and tail, then it can’t have much substance or heavy bone.

I would like to challenge all breeders when evaluating their own dogs and giving critiques of others dogs, to always use the standard as your guide. It’s very revealing when instead of saying

when evaluating a dog, try using the standard as your guide. instead of saying “i’d like to see more...”, try “the standard asks for...”.

by Matthew Dover

“I would like to see more…” try saying, “The standard asks for…so this is an area of opportunity for this dog.”

This will help you keep the critique unbiased as well as educational for the listener. They will probably be more influenced by what you say if it is in support of the written standard as well rather than your own “personal” opinion.

We want to give our judges consistent quality and like type to evaluate. As show breeders we win and we lose. When we lose though, we would like it to be to a dog we

would want to own. A dog, that looks in type, like our very own dogs. Our judge’s decisions will make more sense to us and we will leave the show feeling better about the results of the day and the outlook of our breeds’ future.

The standard of any breed ultimately describes the “perfect” specimen of that said breed.

While there is no “perfect” French Bulldog, this is where the Art of Breeding comes into play. What attributes don’t discount the overall type of the dog or take

away from its quality as a dog that should be shown and ultimately reproduced?

Being strict to the standard and strict to quality and strict to health is where we can contribute the most to our breeds’ betterment.

After all isn’t it our goal to set the standard? Let’s make sure we as breeders do this with every decision we make in regards to our amazing breed.

About the Author: Matthew lives in New England with his loving partner Billy where they share their home with a family of Frenchie kids. Matthew’s love affair with Frenchies began a long time ago. He has immersed himself not only in breeding and showing top French Bulldogs but in the culture and education of anything Frenchie.

He desires to leave an impression in the quality and health of dogs and also to improve the mindset of breeders to strive for only the best in their breeding programs. If you like talking about french bulldogs, come sit next to Matthew.

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f ancy champions

FANCY CHAMPIONS

The following French Bulldogs have recently finished a Championship (or Grand Championship) in their countries. The Frenchie Fancy Magazine wishes to congratulate each and every one of them, along with their dear humans!

2013 - Italy NEW ITALIAN CHAMPION

Hellzapoppin Camembert Eletrique Bred/Owned by Anna Denisova

March 2013 - Louisville, KY - USA NEW AMERICAN CHAMPION

Ezybulls I’m So Fabulous For Bon Temps Owned by Michelle Tippets and Fonda Proctor

Jan 2013 - Erie, PA - USA NEW AMERICAN CHAMPION

Color Splash d’Assisi Bred/Owned by Lori Hunt, DVM

January 2013 - USA NEW AMERICAN CHAMPION

Tres Beau Vindicator Bred/Owned by Calvin & Sharon Dykes

If you have a Frenchie that finished a Championship between March 2013 and June 2013 and you want the WORLD to know, then your Frenchie could be here! Write us at champions@frenchiefancy.com and get more info. VERY LIMITED SPOTS!!

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Jan 2013 - Mar 2013

March 2013 - Raleigh, NC - USA NEW AMERICAN CHAMPION

Canadian CH Frenchkisses Mr Big Owned by Billy Covalucci, Matthew Dover, Mickey MgGee

March 2013 - Raleigh, NC - USA NEW AMERICAN CHAMPION

MokaoDC Coco Vialatte Rebecca Bonbon Owned by Kazumi Yamanaka

Feb 2013 - Maryland - USA NEW AMERICAN CHAMPION

Adore’s Shady Harbor Guidette Bred/Owned by John Nowicki & Gregory Workman

Jan 2013 - Cloverdale, BC - Canada NEW CANADIAN CHAMPION

Mtnview Go Big or Go Home Owned by Cathy Jones & Shelby Jones

March 2013 - Del Sur KC - USA NEW AMERICAN GRAND CHAMPION

American CH Jezebel du Sourire Doux Owned by Carol Johnson

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